Order No. 25 of the Council of
People's Commissars of the
Provisional Central Government
(September 17, 1932)
At present, the revolutionary war is victoriously and rapidly advancing. Every
member of the worker and peasant masses should go to the front to participate
actively in the war effort, in order to smash thoroughly the Fourth Encirclement
Campaign of the imperialists and the Guomindang and win victory first in
Jiangxi. Providing military transport is one way of participating in the war effort;
it truly helps and facilitates the task of the Red Army in its battles at the front.
The work by governments at all levels to mobilize the masses to organize teams
of stretcher-bearers and transport teams to go to the front is inadequate. They
have failed to do a very good job of propaganda and agitation, so as to encourage
every worker and peasant comrade to go and participate enthusiastically. There
are even instances of desertion, which have adversely affected military supplies
and caused the loss of captured goods. Another negative phenomenon is that, in
the past, those who went anywhere to provide transport demanded wages. This
turns the whole thing into a form of hired labor, and not only causes military
expenditures to rise, but also leads to losing sight of the significance of the
participation of the worker and peasant masses in the war. It must be corrected at
once. Moreover, propaganda must be directed toward the worker and peasant
masses in a big way, so that they may enthusiastically and voluntarily join the
teams of stretcher-bearers and transport workers and go to work at the front. The
following are the stipulated methods for the direction, transfer, and treatment of
members of teams of stretcher-bearers and transport workers:
I. Long-term members of stretcher-bearers' and transport teams serve one to
three months and must all work together with the army. Each person receives 15
cents a day in silver as a fee for straw sandals, payable once every five days.
They are also given leftover meals, but no other types of expenses are to be paid
to them.
2. Short-term members of stretcher-bearers' and transport teams are those
~~~published in H011gse Zlumghua, No. 34, September 20, 1932. We
have translated it from Mao Zsdongji. Bujuan, Vol. 4, pp. 7~0. where it is reproduced
from that source.

MAO'S ROAD TO POWER
people whom local governments mobilize into service for a short duration; they
perform the duties of carrying the wounded and sick and captured goods in
nearby areas. Those who serve for less than twenty days do not receive the straw
sandal fees paid on a daily basis, but get appropriate sums of money for straw
sandals needed for the duration of their service. Those hired on a temporary basis
by local governments may be paid appropriate sums of money for straw sandals
according to the actual requirements of local conditions.
3. The duration of service for teams of convicts is to be determined by their
original sentences. When they are on the move following the army, they may be
paid 5 cents a day for straw sandals. When they are stationed in one place with
the army, they do not get money for straw sandals, but may be given leftover
meals. They do not get any other expense money.
4. Each xian soviet is to be responsible for organizing the long-term teams of
stretcher-bearers and teams of convicts. These teams are to be sent by the military depots to the various armies to work with them, as determined by the
Military Commission. The rear units, military depots, and hospitals are not to
retain the use of the members of these long-term stretcher-bearers' and transport
teams.
6. 1 In order to transport rapidly the captured goods and other materials from
the front, each military district and government should, in the future, in addition
to mobilizing the masses on a temporary basis, transfer Red Guard units from
their areas to carry out this work. This will not only reduce the difficulty of
mobilization on short notice and help to transport all captured goods back to our
areas without losses, but also amount to leading the Red Guards truly to participate in the war effort.
7. Provincial and xian soviets should constantly supervise and command different local governments to carry out this effort. As for the time and place of
concentration, as well as the number of people to be mobilized, the instructions
of the General Political Department are to be followed.
Governments at all levels, all military depots, and administrations in the rear
must fully comply with and carry out the above decisions and methods. It is so
ordered.
Chairman
Vice-Chairmen
Mao Zedong
XiangYing
Zhang Guotao